Direction indicator



w. A, TRAILL 1,980,772

DIRECTION INDICATOR Filed Nov. 27. 1931 HrrormEY Patented Nov. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DIRECTION INDICATOR William Allan Traill, Westmount, Quebec, Canada Application November 27, 1931, Serial No. 577,573

1 Claim. (01. 177-339) The invention relates to a direction indicator, as described in the present specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing that forms part of the same.

The invention consists essentially of a plurality of projected lights suitably positioned in front and rear groups and connected through a particular form of switch as pointed out in the claim for novelty following a description in detail of the various parts and their relationship.

The objects of the invention are to indicate very clearly the proposed direction of travel of motor cars, trucks and other motor driven vehicles, for the knowledge of the several drivers,

pedestrians and traffic directors and for the convenience and safety -of the several drivers and their passengers and to do this in a distinct and efiicient manner whereby the indication will be prominently displayed and the lights operated through a switch designed to familiarize the '25 to project a colored light in such a manner as to make the signal distinctive from the many lights seen in trafiic, especially at important intersections of streets or roadways; to avoid mistakes due to slipping switches and imperfect connections; and generally to competently furnish the means for a system of lighting that will go far in the way of safety measures and yet be quite economical in so far as construction of the device is concerned and in the consumption of electric current.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a motor car showing the front group of lights.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail showing a headlight broken away and the group of lights mounted thereon.

Figure 3 is a rear view of a motor car broken away, showing the rear group of lights associated with the tail light of the car.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of the wiring to either end of the car.

Figure 5 is a detail showing a concave reflector for the projection of the light from each branch of the signal casing.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a form of switch.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the various figures.

Referring to the drawing, the casing, indicated by the numeral 15 is formed in any suitable shape in so far as its base 16 is concerned,

to fit on to a convenient part of the motor car, here shown as attached to the headlight casing 17.

This casing 15 is formed with three branches 18, 19 and 20, the vertical branch having the face 21 and the translucent colored vertical bar 22 adapted to be distinctly visible through the mounting of the incandescent bulb 23 in the foot of the concave reflector 24, within the casing, this bar indicating the through direction, the branch 18 having an arrow 25 or other pointer indicating a change of direction and the branch 20 having an arrow 26 indicating a change of direction in the opposite way, in other words, the branch casings 18 and 20 extend from the sides of the main portion of the casing 15 in opposite directions, so that right and left are provided for with the arrows and the bar for straight ahead, these arrows and the bar appearing preferably through orange colored glass, each branch casing having a bulb and a parabolic reflector.

The rear direction signals are precisely the same, though preferably mounted on the tail light 27.

The bulbs in the front and rear groups are wired to the electric battery 28 and through the switch 29 having the confirmation or tell-tale lights 30, 31 and 32 behind the apertures 54, 55 and 56 in the box cover 49, which apertures are arranged in positions to identify right, left and straight away directions.

In Figure 6 is shown an acceptable form of switch consisting of a switch arm 4'1 pivoted in the common contact 48 and adapted to be moved radially over the plate 49 on which are mounted the contacts 50 for straight ahead direction, 51 for right turn and52 for left turn, respectively connected to the lights in casings 19, 18 and 20, the contact 50 beinglocated centrally and the contacts 51 and 52 being spaced equally on either side of it.

Set into the plate 49 and situated radially from the contact 48 and beyond the contacts 50, 51

and 52 are the glazed apertures 54, 55 and 56 behind which are placed tell-tale lights connected into the respective indicating light circuits. These glazed openings are in shapes to conform to the respective direction lights, 54 being a bar to correspond with the bar 22, and 58 and 56, arrows, to correspond with the arrows 25 and 26, the glass in these apertures being colored. The switch arm 4'7 is slotted at 53 to permit the tell-tale light to show through when the arm is over one of the contacts. The switch arm has a shape similar to that of a branch of the signal casing whereby said arm in cooperation with the illuminated window showing through the slot in the arm gives a visual representation of the illuminated branch.

This completes the detailed description of the parts and it will be understood that the shapes described and illustrated, while important, are not essential for changes may be made at will to suit varying conditions, the salient features being the switch operation and disposition of the lights.

In the operation of the invention, the motorist, who it may be presumed is travelling in the direction of an intersection, desires to turn to his left or to his right, as the case may be. The arm of the switch is then operated and moved over the contact and tell-tale light, which indicates the desired direction, and the result of this is that a connection is made through from front to rear of the vehicle, and intermediately to the corresponding one of the confirmation or tell-tale lights, and the result of this action is that the translucent arrow is illuminated, while the bar and the other arrow are dark.

The illuminated arrow may be readily seen in front of the car by the traffic officer at the intersection that this car is approaching, giving the necessary knowledge to the oflicer that the motorist is to turn off from the straight away direction. Similarly, the motorists behind the car are at once informed that the car before them is to turn to the left or right as the case may be, thereby insuring safety for pedestrians and cars to the front and to the rear of the car with the signal, and in so far as the driver is concerned, the particular confirmation or tell-tale light shows through the slot in the switch arm, these lights being behind glazed apertures of colored glass, which will at once tell the driver that he has signalled in the correct direction and that his electric circuit is in perfect order.

To travel through the intersection in the straight away course, the bar is illuminated in the middle branch casing and this may be left illuminated during the whole journey, except when changing direction.

What I claim as my invention:-

In a vehicle direction signal system, a signal unit comprising a common central base portion, similarly shaped individual enclosed signal portions generating from said common base along the radii of a circle having its center in said base portion and lying in a single plane, each of said signalling portions being provided with a directionally significant symbol, a lamp within each signal portion, means for mounting said unit on a vehicle with the plane of said signal portions vertical and transverse of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, a switch for said signal unit comprising a face plate, means for mounting said face plate convenient to the driver of the vehicle and in a plane parallel to the plane of said signal portions, translucent windows arranged in with the same symbol as its corresponding signal portion, a switch arm, means for pivotally mounting said arm on said face plate at the said center point thereon and on the side adjacent the driver of the vehicle, said arm having a shape similar to that of the respective signal portions of said signal unit and being provided with a slot through which said translucent windows in the. face plate are respectively visible as said arm is turned on its pivot, a pilot light for each window of said face plate and means for mounting the same adjacent the respective windows on the opposite side of said plate from the switch arm, contact means for said switch operated by said arm, a source of current and circuits, said contact means and circuits being so arranged that when the arm is opposite any window the corresponding pilot light and signal light are illuminated, whereby said signal portions may be selectively illuminated and said switch arm and window give a visual representation of said illuminated portion.

WILLIAM ALLAN TRAILL. 

